Truly, Madly, Deeply
by Pit'sSexyWifeNikki66
Summary: Marth is only five years old, but he already doesn't want to be prince. After meeting Elis, he and the man form a strong bond quickly, and Marth comes to love the man as a father. Rape, Blood, child abuse, character death. Prequel to Life Of A Teenage Seraph.


**Chapter One – Truly, Madly, Deeply **

**Marth is only five years old, but he already doesn't want to be prince. While being chased by hunting dogs, he meets Elis, who saves him from the dogs. The man hates children, but is attached to the prince almost immediately. Marth also grows attached to him and they quickly form a strong bond. (Brutal Rape/Child Abuse)**

I run out of the court yard, being chased by the hunting dogs. My heart is racing; I don't know how I'm even running faster than them. One of them has already bit my shoulder. I run into town, thankfully not many people are out today. I quickly swerve behind a house, pressing against the wall, panting hard.

I stare up at the sky, waiting for them to find me. I feel my legs start shaking in fear. I slide down the wall, my legs giving out completely.

"You know, those dogs can smell fear." I hear a growly voice say.

My heart skips a beat. I quickly hide my shoulder under my cloak. I lift my head, my eyes wide in fear. A large, muscular man with spiky green hair is standing in front of me. He's staring down at me. I feel so insignificant to him right now.

"C-can they really?" I force out, my heart racing in terror.

"Ha!" He laughs loudly, making me jump. "Of course not! I can't believe you even believed that, stupid kid!"

I hear the dogs barking, and it's coming closer. The dogs jump around the side of the building, snarling. I yelp and jump up. Not thinking, I run behind the tall man, holding onto one of his legs in fear.

"Get outta here, mutts!" I hear a loud smack, and one of the dogs yelp.

I close my eyes, waiting for the dogs to leave. I feel hands on my sides, then I'm lifted off the ground. I gasp and try to get away, but he holds me tighter.

"Put me down!" I demand loudly.

"Hey I just saved your life. Don't you think I should get at least a thank you?" The man chuckles.

I stop moving and look up at him. My cloak is covering most of my face, and I can just barely see him past it. He reaches up and pushes my hood off my head to see me properly. I lower my head as he pushes it off.

"Oh!" He quickly drops me, making me yelp as I fall on my ass. "Prince Marth!"

"I'm not a prince if I'm not in the castle, so I'm just Marth." I groan as I stand up.

"No, you're always a prince, no matter where you are. Why didn't you say anything?" He quickly kneels in front of me.

"What are you doing? Stand up." I tell him, confused.

I watch as he stands back up. I take a step closer, and without warning, I wrap my arms around one of his legs. He stares down at me as I hug him. He's so tall; the top of my head is level with waist.

"Thank you for saving me from the dogs. I thought for sure they were gonna get me." I sigh in relief, my shoulder burning.

"Y-you're welcome, your majesty." The man coughs.

"I told you, I'm not the prince unless I'm in the castle, and I'm not in the castle. Right now, I'm just Marth." I repeat.

"Sir, what's wrong? Why don't you want to be treated how you're supposed to?" He asks unsurely.

"My father expects too much of me! He wants me to be able to sword fight by age six, and he expects me to be all huge and muscular like him!" I feel myself start to get hot in frustration. "Do you know how old I am?" I demand angrily.

"N-No, sir." He steps back a little.

"I'm only five and a half years old! _Five and a half!_ And my father is making me train with the knights to learn how to sword fight! I'm gonna die one of these days! My mother and my sister try to get me to sow with them, and my sister does my hair every morning! Do you know how stressful it is being there? Honestly, I hate it! _I hate it_!" I complain loudly, gaining the attention of some people walking by.

"Uh, don't worry Honey; I'm sure everything will clear up soon. You'll be a great prince, I'm sure." He says as he looks away.

"No, I won't! If I don't do something right, he hits me! For all I know he's gonna get out the chains and whips! I'm only five! I shouldn't even be allowed to touch a sword! Hey, where are you going?" I ask as he starts walking away.

"I have things to do. It was nice to meet you, prince Marth." He bows again, then keeps walking off.

I gasp as I watch him go. I liked complaining to him. I quickly run over to him, startling him slightly. Before he can say anything, I force my hand into his, leaning against him as we walk. He stops, so I also stop and look up at him.

Smiling innocently, I stare up at him with large, pleading eyes. He just stares down at me, his face completely blank.

"So, you never told me your name earlier." I point out.

"Uh, m-my name's Elis." Elis forces out.

"Oh really? Elis," I mumble and look down. I look back up at him happily. "Well, Hi Elis! I'm Marth!" I hold my other hand out to him, smiling still.

He takes my hand, and I move closer to him. I jump up and wrap my arms around his neck, letting myself dangle from him. My shoulder starts searing in pain, so I wrap my legs around his waist, smiling up at him. His face is completely red.

"I like you!" I giggle, laying my head on his chest.

"I-I'm not too fond of children, Prince Marth, so please, get down." He clears his throat loudly, looking away.

"But I like you! And I'm really tired from being chased by dogs. Can you _please_ carry me? I promise I'll stop talking." I beg him quietly.

"What does talking have to do with this?" He asks, looking back at me.

"Well, my father says I talk _way_ too much, so he slaps me. But you won't slap me, will you?" I really hope he's not angry with me because I jumped on him.

"No, I would never slap you. I'd probably get beheaded if I did." Elis sighs.

"Well that's a relief!" I smile at him, still holding onto his neck and waist. "So… Would you mind if I went with you? While you do your stuff? What are you doing anyway?" I ask.

"I'm going to the market. And it doesn't seem like I'll be getting rid of you anytime soon, so sure." He lifts me up a little more, moving me so I'm sitting on his hip.

He holds me up by my waist. I wrap my arms around his torso, laying my head on his shoulder.

"I've never been to the market. Are there a lot of people there? Am I allowed there?" I ask quietly.

"Yes, you are allowed there, and yes, there are a lot of people." He tells me.

"Oh. What kind of stuff is at the market?"

"A lot of stuff."

"Like what a lot of stuff?"

"Just a bunch of stuff."

"So, do you have a house?"

"Yes."

"Is it big?"

"No."

"No? Do you have a garden in your yard?"

"No. I do have a yard though. It's all grass with one dead tree right in the middle."

"Do you have any pets?"

"One cat, which rarely comes around, and a Sheppard dog. I also have a cow, some sheep, and two chickens."

"Cool! Do you have any spiders? I don't like spiders. Actually, I don't like any bugs."

"I don't really like bugs either."

"Are you a Sheppard?"

"Sort of."

"Cool! Have you ever slaughtered a cow?"

"No… That was kind of random…"

"Good. That's evil."

"You know, beef, steaks and stuff, are cow."

"I know... But meat is nasty. Do you like meat?"

"Yes."

"Oh! Look at all the people!" I gasp and point at the huge crowd of people.

"Yes, this is the market." Elis walks into the market, walking past tons of people.

I look around, wide eyed, watching everyone and everything. Tons of people are talking to each other, buying and trading things, and sometimes even smiling and waving at me and Elis. Someone smiles at me, waving happily. I smile back, also waving.

"Elis, all the people are so nice!" I lay my head down on his shoulder again, still smiling.

"Yes, it's because they know you're the prince." He replies.

"Oh, they do? Okay!" I reach behind me and put my hood back on, thinking they won't recognize me. "Now they'll never know!"

"Okay, you just keep that hood on." I hear him chuckle.

"Mr. Elis? So, to help with my disguise, can I call you father?" I smile up at him, my eyes wide and begging.

"W-what? Uh, umm… Y-yes. You can." I think my question threw him off guard.

I giggle a little, then hug him tighter. We start walking again, this time stopping at one of the booths. A lady turns around, smiling at us. There are several different kinds of fruits and vegetables on the stand.

"Hello Elis. Who's that?" She points to me.

She seems really kind, but I'm not allowed around a lot of people, so I feel my face flush. I lean closer to Elis, hiding myself a little. He looks down at me, while the woman smiles at my shyness.

"This is…" He looks at me, asking permission to tell her who I really am.

I cuddle closer to him, hiding my face with my arms and his side. I hear her laugh a little.

"This is prince Marth." Elis tells her.

"Oh! The prince? Is that really him? I've always wanted to see him! No one's seen him because he's so young!" She gasps as she keeps fawning over me. "He's so shy, it's so cute!"

"Yeah, I didn't know he was _this_ shy." Elis sighs, looking back down at me.

"Well he's never been in town. I'm sure it's all just a bit much for him to take in. What I want to know is why you have him." The woman questions.

"I found him being chased by the royal hunting dogs."

"Oh dear! Is he hurt?" I feel a soft hand on my back, making me move my arm slightly to look back at who's touching me.

The woman is staring at me worriedly. I hide my face again, moving closer to Elis. She moves her hand.

"Not that I know of." Elis replies.

I instantly remember my shoulder, which I purposely hid from him. She lightly touches my shoulder right where I was bit. I stifle a yelp, pulling my shoulder away from her. I move my arm a little again, looking up at her. She looks closely at my shoulder, noticing that the black fabric is a little wet where she had touched me.

She looks down at her hand, then back up at me. I move so more of my face is visible. I know she can tell something's wrong with my shoulder. She reaches up and goes to touch it again, but I pull my shoulder out of her reach before she can't touch me.

"There's something wrong with his shoulder," The woman tells Elis, her face twisted in worry.

Elis looks down at me, confused. He softly pushes my cloak off my shoulder. He and the woman both gasp as they see the bloody bite mark.

"Marth, why didn't you tell me about this?" He asks me, just as worried as the woman.

"Here, come around back here and set him down. I've got some bandages, and we can clean it." The woman goes back behind her booth.

Elis follows her quickly, setting me down on a box where she gestured for him to put me. I look up at them both, my face red and my eyes wide in fear. The woman rushes off somewhere, coming back quickly with bandages.

I watch as Elis reaches down and softly rubs my cheek with the back of his hand. It makes me cower away a little, as my father always hits me like that. He carefully lays me back, removing my cloak as he does so. I feel fear well up and choke me, as I have no idea what they are going to be doing to me.

"Alright, you keep him distracted while I clean and wrap this. I know it will hurt, so make sure he can't move his arm." She kneels next to me, making me turn my head and look at her.

I'm so scared I'm almost trembling. My shoulder is already in searing pain, so whatever she's going to do will make it hurt even more. Elis softly turns my head back towards him, but I turn my head back to the woman. He turns my head away again, but I continue to look back at her.

"Marth, please, just look away from her." Elis pleads.

I look over at him, my eyes wide and filled with fear. He leans over me so I can't see past him. I try to look past him, but he's too big to see past. I whimper, fearing what she might really be doing.

I feel something put pressure on my shoulder, making the pain unbearable. I scream in pain, making Elis put an arm around me for comfort. The pain subdues a little, but it's still there.

"Yeah…" I see the woman stand up past Elis. "We're gonna need a quieter place."

"That would be a good idea." The green haired man stands up again.

"Come on, we can go to my house for now." The woman reaches over and closes a window like thing on her booth, then comes back over to me.

I scramble off the box and snatch my cloak up off the ground. I quickly put it on, hiding my shoulder again. How can hurting me more possibly help?

"I'm sorry it hurt honey, but if we don't get it cleaned and wrapped it could make you really sick or get infected." The woman tells me.

I slowly move over to Elis, avoiding her as much as I can. I can tell she's amused at my sudden dislike for her because when she touched me it hurt. I grab Elis's hand, then feel him pick me up. I look up at him as he cradles me to his chest.

I lay my head against his chest, keeping my shoulder away from touching anything. He follows the woman out of the booth and into town. More people watch us, now suspiciously, because they heard my scream.

I close my eyes, starting to feel a little faint. I wonder if anyone in the castle knows I'm gone yet. What will they do when they find me with Elis? What if they think he kidnapped me? They'll surely execute him!

I shudder at the thought of such a kind man being punished so harshly for something he didn't do. I hear a door open, and figure we're at the woman's house.

"Has he been this quiet since you met him?" The woman asks.

"No, when I first met him he wouldn't shut up. I think he's just trying to help the pain go away." Elis chuckles as I'm set down on something soft.

I open my eyes and look around. I'm in a small room, sitting on a small bed with white sheets. I look at Elis, then to the woman, who has her bandages and some water. She sets them on a nightstand next to the bed.

I lower my head as she kneels in front of me. I half close my eyes, turning my head away, as she takes my cloak off again. She softly rubs my unhurt shoulder, smiling kindly.

"Okay Marth, I need you to lie down carefully, and Elis is going to lay over you so you can't see me. I'm only going to clean and bandage your arm, nothing else, okay?" She tells me quietly.

"No," I whimper, not wanting her to hurt me.

"This has to be cleaned, or else it could get really bad. Please, just lie down." She softly pushes me back, but I hold myself up with my arms.

"No, it hurts." I object, just as quiet as her.

"I know it hurts, but if you leave it will hurt even more and it could get really gross. You wouldn't want that, would you?" She persuades me, pushing on my chest lightly.

"No, but-"

"No, lay down. The sooner I finish the sooner it will stop hurting." I lay down, still watching her keenly.

Elis smiles at me as he lays over how he was back at the woman's booth. I whimper and grab the collar of his shirt softly. He puts his hand on mine, showing me that I'll be fine. Something cold is poured onto my arm. It doesn't hurt, but it does sting.

I wince in pain, but don't make any noise. Once I feel something start wiping my arm, it gives the same burning pain I felt before. I bite the inside of my cheek, trying hard not to scream. My eyes close as Elis brings a hand up to stroke my cheek.

"Shh, don't scream, that doesn't help anything." He whispers almost silently.

The woman is holding my hand down with her free one while she cleans the blood off my arm. I grab Elis's hand with my free one, trying to ignore the pain. He softly grabs my hand back, then moves our hands up to my face. I feel the back of his hand, still holding mine, and softly rub my cheek with his hand.

"Elis, why are you helping me?" I force out past my whimpering in pain.

"Because you're just a kid. You don't understand what the world is like yet. I have no reason not to help you while being chased by vicious dogs that would have eaten you, then hold your hand while you're dog bite is being cleaned. I understand that you're in pain, so I'll help you, simply because I can and because you deserve the help. You're done nothing wrong in your life before." He whispers back, pressing his cheek to mine.

"Do you think I'll get any better? Do you think I'll start understanding life, and why I _have_ to be prince?" I ask again.

"Marth, you have to be prince because you were born into the royal family. That's why. It's just because of who your parents are." Elis keeps stroking my cheek.

"I don't wanna be prince. I wanna be a normal person." I sigh.

I don't feel anything on my shoulder anymore, only the lingering pain from the bite itself. I feel something start wrapping around my arm, so I figure she's done cleaning it and is wrapping it in bandages.

"You are a normal person, you just live in a castle while we live here, in town in a cold, poorly built house." I hear Elis sigh.

"I'm sorry. If I could live here, with you, I would. I would give everything I have up to be like everyone else. I don't have much more anyways. It's just as cold, just as boring. The only difference is that I get slapped for talking and I have to learn how to use a sword at five." I tell him honestly.

"So, do you really get slapped for talking?" Elis sits up a little, still looking down at me.

"Not just for talking, but yeah. Only by my father though. My mother would never hit me. She yells at father every time he hits me. He doesn't listen though." I snivel as the woman tightens the bandages.

"I'm sorry." He whispers, then rubs his cheek softly against mine.

"It's fine though. He's only severely hurt me once." I reply.

"What's severely?" He inquires.

"Well, he slapped me really hard, and it left a really big bruise, which is normal, but I hit my head on the wall and woke up in my room a couple hours later." I yawn, not really feeling the pain anymore.

"Your father hit you so hard you fell unconscious? Wow…" He keeps rubbing my cheek, almost as if what I told him didn't really piss him off like I thought it would.

"There you go Marth! You're all better now!" The woman stands up, smiling happily. "You can go and pl- Ahh!"

Elis and I both look up as she screams. We see several of the royal guards come into the house. I quickly scramble up and hide behind Elis, whimpering in fear.

"Where is the young Prince Marth?" One of them asks, his voice loud and echoing in his metal helmet.

"He's here, of course. We were just h-"

"Shut up! Give him to us, or you will be executed for kidnapping the prince!" One guard steps closer to Elis, pointing his sword at his throat.

"No!" I run out from behind him and hold my arms out, trying to block him, even though they both are much taller than me. "Don't hurt Elis! He didn't kidnap me, I was being chased by the hunting dogs, and he saved me from them!" I glare at them.

"Young Prince, What happened to your arm?" The guard points to the bandages.

I quickly lower my arm, looking around for my cloak. I see it and quickly grab it. I put it on, hiding my shoulder from them.

"Please, follow us to where your father is waiting in the town square." All the guards turn and leave.

I look up at Elis, then slowly walk out the door. I see my father immediately, and I slowly walk over to him, my head down. Elis also walks out of the house with the woman, stopping near a small booth. I walk up to my father.

My head snaps up, almost knocking me backwards. My whole jaw starts burning. "Keep your head up, you're the future king! Always keep your head up." My father snaps.

I look at him, keeping my head up like he ordered. I hold back a whine as my jaw keeps hurting.

"Why are you out of the castle?" He demands, his voice booming.

Everyone in town is watching, amazed because he hit me.

"Well, I-I wa-"

"Do not stutter while you speak!" He swings out and slaps me in the face.

I almost fall over, but I catch myself. I stand back up, half my face red and stinging. I force back tears as he stares down at me as if I was roach he was about to crush.

"Now, why are you out of the castle?"

"The hunting dogs were chasing me, and I had nowhere else to go. That man saved me though!" I turn around and point at Elis.

The green haired man lowers his head, wishing I wouldn't have brought the king's attention to him.

"Guards, bring that man to me at once!" King Cornelius also points to Elis.

"Don't hurt him father!" I beg him, not wanting Elis to get hurt.

"Do not beg! You're a prince! You do not beg!" He smacks me in the face again, but this time, I actually fall over.

I whimper and start to sit up as I look up to him.

"Please, he's a great man. Do not hurt him." I ask as I keep standing up.

He glares at me, then smacks me again. I fall down again.

"Hey! Stop hitting the boy! He's just a kid!" Elis demands, taking a strong step toward my father.

"He is not just a kid, he is the future king, and if he doesn't learn how to be strong and be like a real man, then he'll never make it in the real world." He snaps at Elis, which doesn't faze him at all.

"Slapping him will not help! He's five! He doesn't need to know about the real world or learn how to be a real man!" Elis yells back, defending me.

I start to stand up again, my face hurting more than it was before. I hear a gasp, then I'm lifted off the ground. I also gasp, then look up. I see my mother staring down at me.

"I was so worried about you! Oh, I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you!" She hugs me tight, hurting my shoulder.

I turn my head to the side, trying to get out of her grip. She lifts her head and looks down at me.

"What happened to your face? It's already bruising! Oh, your adorable face!" She cups my face in her hands, softly stroking the bruised side of my face.

I look over at my father, letting her know it was him again. She glares at him, then walks over to him. He turns, scaring me. I scramble up onto her shoulder. She grabs me again, but I slip out of her grip and fall off her. I land on the ground, but I quickly get up.

I run over to Elis, hiding behind his legs again. He smiles down at me, even though I could easily get him executed.

"Marth! Are you okay?" My mother gasps, watching me cower behind Elis.

"That boy needs better training while I'm gone! He needs proper discipline! I don't know what you do to punish him while I'm not gone but it isn't working!" I watch as father turns and yells at mother.

"I don't punish him because he doesn't need to be punished! He's a perfect child when you're gone!" She yells back.

"Perfect? He is stupid, and he doesn't know how to be a real prince!" I grip tighter to Elis's legs, fighting back the tears.

"You are never here! You don't know how he is! He's _scared_ of you, _that's_ why he acts how he does around you! Stop hitting him and maybe he'll start liking you!" My mother comes over to me, making me press myself to Elis more.

"Your majesty, you need to know, his shoulder was bit by the dogs." Elis informs her. "That is why we had him at our house. We were just cleaning his shoulder."

"Next time it is best if you bring him straight back to the castle." She sighs and picks me up.

"Next time it's best if you just leave him alone!" The king snaps at Elis.

"Look, if I would have left him alone, those dogs would have killed him. You should be thankful I saved his life! If it wasn't for me, Altea wouldn't have another king." Elis steps forward.

"Then maybe he'd learn not to mess with the hunting dogs." King Cornelius growls as he turns around and starts back toward his horse.

I look at Elis as my mother carries me to the carriage. She opens it and sets me down. I see my sister, Elice, sitting on the other side. I look back out the door. My mother closes it, then goes around to the other side.

I climb up onto the seat and lean out the window from there. Elis is watching me, along with a lot of other people. I wave slowly at him, happy my father didn't decide to execute him. He waves back, sadness obvious on his face.

I feel hands on my back, so I look behind me. My mother is standing behind me.

"You shouldn't hang out the window like that; you could fall out easily with how small you are." She pulls me out of the window gently.

I sigh, then sit down. "I only wanted to say bye to Mr. Elis. He was really nice," I stare down into my lap confusedly.

"I know, but you need not to be associating with the peasants." She sits down beside me as the carriage starts moving.

"Peasants? They're not peasants, they just do all the work, and they live in small houses, with a bunch of farm animals and a dog, and a cat who doesn't like people. They have a really hard life. Why can't they live in the castle too?" I look up at her curiously.

"Because they aren't royalty and if everyone lived in the castle it would become very crowed." She smiles.

"Well Elis says I only live in the castle because I'm your son. He said there isn't anything special about us. That the only difference between us and them is that we live in the castle and have better clothes." I turn back out the window.

"Well, he's wrong. We are better people; we are like a superior race of people." The queen explains.

"No we aren't." I turn back to her, looking at her as if she's stupid.

"Do not look at me like that, and who are you to say? You are only five years old. You don't know how the world works." She _almost_ snaps.

"I do understand, and I'm five and a half." I huff as I look back out the window.

"No my darling, you do not, and the fact that you're arguing proves that you don't."

"Well who are you to say what I do and don't understand? Only I know how I think and what I understand. You can say I don't, but I know I do."

"Prince Marth, when we get back home, go straight to your room." She demands.

"That's where I was going anyway." I mumble as I watch the draw bridge rise behind us.

"Do not mumble. What did you say?"

"I said okay." I lie.

"Good."

I roll my eyes as the carriage comes to a stop. Mother and Elice stand up, then they both get out. I follow them, ignoring my mother's hand as she offers to help me down. I lead the way back into the castle, then head straight towards my room.

I climb up the stairs, climbing most of the way on my hands and knees, as the stairs are hard to go up with how small I am. I make it to my room and go inside. I close the door, then run over to my window. I can see the town from my window.

I push the curtains back, then lean out the window. There are still a lot of people in the town square, but they all look like tiny ants from up here. I wonder if any of them are Elis. I sigh and drop out of my window.

I close the curtains, then go over to my bed. I climb up onto it and crawl up to my pillows. Are we really superior beings? I don't believe it. Elis said that we are all the same, that the only difference is where we live. I believe Elis.

I close my eyes as I cuddle down into the sheets, burying my face into my pillow. I slowly let sleep take over, still wondering if I'll ever see Elis again.

-After A Short Nap-

I hear my bedroom door open. I groan quietly and curl up tighter. I feel the edge of my bed depress. Just after, a large hand softly pets my side.

"Prince Marth, it's time to get up. We have our little game to play, remember?" I hear a voice whisper.

I cringe as I recognize his voice. Every night he comes up here and 'plays' a game with me. He's never hurt me, but at the same time, what he does to me feels wrong. He won't physically hurt me, but he threatens a lot.

I always have my mother light a candle because I'm scared of the dark, but he always blows it out. I lift my head a little and look at him. He smiles at me.

"Sorry to wake you up, but you went to sleep very early. You weren't trying to get out of our little game, were you?" I watch as he stands and takes a slow step toward the dresser where a large, white candle is sitting, lit.

"N-no, I was just really tired. Please, can we not play tonight? I'm still really tired." I ask in a whiney voice as I sit up, stretching my legs out a little.

"No, you know we've got to play every night. It's more fun that way!" I feel my heart rate speed up a little as he blows the candle out.

"It's not fun. Not when we do it every night, not ever." I deny as I pull the blanket up over my head.

"Well its fun for me." He replies.

I whimper as I feel him get on the bed again. He stands on his knees over my legs. He lifts the blanket up from the bottom. I glare at him and look away. I hear a light chuckle.

"Okay, you hide your face, but we're still going to play our little game." I feel hands on my hips, then feel them start slipping my black leggings off slowly.

I whimper and cover my head with my arms.

"What if we play for even longer tomorrow? Then can I sleep tonight?" I ask pleadingly as I lift the blanket a little so I can see him.

It's very hot, since we both are underneath my blanket. He looks thoughtful for a moment, but the look soon disappears.

"I've had a very hard, stressful day. I want to play _tonight_." He looks down again and fully removes my leggings.

I blush harder as I feel his finger tips softly rub against my balls. Just after, he pulls my underwear off and leans down, taking my hardening member into his mouth.

-The Next Day, Around Lunch Time-

"Prince Marth! Come down here at once!" I hear ring through the halls.

It wakes me instantly. I jump up from my bed. I get dressed quickly, then run out of my room. I start down the stairs swiftly. Just as I get to the bottom, I trip over one of the stairs. I tumble forward a couple times, then fall flat on my stomach.

I groan and lift up a little. I look up, one eye open, and see my father. He's wearing all his armor and is holding a sword. One of the knights are standing beside him.

"Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you." He glares down at me. "Well? What are you waiting for? Get up!" I quickly scramble up and straighten my clothes out.

"Uh, you called for me, Father?" I ask, my head still hurting.

"Yes, I did. I'm going to war again, and I'm bringing you along." Just as he finishes, I jump at a high pitched shriek.

"You are _not_ bringing him to war!" My mother, who is usually elegant and calm, runs up to us and scoops me off the ground. "You _will_ _not_ bring my baby to war at such a young age!"

"It's better to start early, and maybe it'll teach him discipline." He takes a step forward.

"_No_! Maybe when he's older, but not now! He could get killed!" She backs away with me in her arms.

I look over at my father, then back to my mother. I don't want to go to war! Not now, not ever!

"Fine. When he's older he'll go. Merric will be here shortly to see Marth and Elice. Afterwards, the Greil Mercenaries will be making a stop at our castle to introduce their newest mercenary. I will be gone by then. Now, I must be off. We will return in victory soon." I watch as he turns and, followed by the knight, leaves.

"Merric is coming?" I ask quietly.

I've always enjoyed Merric's company, but maybe he could use his magic to get us into town so I can see Elis!

"Yes. Now go on dear, go play. I'll inform you when Merric arrives." She gently sets me down on my feet.

I look up at her, then start back up the stairs toward my room. I hide behind the curved wall, listening for when my mother walks away. I hear her walk away, so I slowly go back down the stairs. I look around for her, then make my way towards the kitchen.

The chef always has something interesting to say, so I figure I'll go visit him. I open the door and go inside. I see all the cooks at their counters, chopping and cooking things, as normal. I make my way past everybody, going completely unnoticed because I'm short.

I see the chef standing at a counter, chopping a bunch of vegetables. I grab a stool and push it over to him, then climb up onto it. He still hasn't noticed me yet. I lean a little closer and watch him chop large carrots.

"Hi Mr. Chef!" I smile.

He looks over at me in surprise. "Ah! Hello young prince Marth! I didn't see you there!"

"Hey, do you think that me and my mother, and my sister and father are 'superior beings'?" I ask as he takes some celery and chops it.

"No, everyone is the same. You are just higher on the social level than the peasants, and us, the cooks." He replies.

"See? That's what I think! I tried telling mother that we aren't superior, but she doesn't believe me! What can I do to make her believe me?" I sigh as I start fingering a carrot the fell off the pile he made.

"I don't know. It's hard to persuade people's beliefs." He shrugs.

"What are you cooking?" I ask as he scoops the celery and carrots into a bowl, then brings them over towards a pot.

"We're making some beef stew." He replies, then dumps them into the pot.

"Beef? Eww." I look around and see some of the others cutting large pieces of beef.

"Eww? Beef is good! What do you mean eww?" The chef turns around to me, looking challenging at me.

He likes me, so I know he's not angry.

"I mean it's nasty. I don't like it." I shudder in disgust as I look away from all the people cutting meat.

"That's it. You've lost your mind." He laughs as he starts cutting more vegetables.

"I have not! Here, since you like it so much, I'll bring mine to you, and you can have it, because I don't want it." I tell him.

"Well that must be why you're so tiny." He comments.

"I'm tiny because I'm young, not because I don't eat meat." I correct him.

"Prince Marth! Merric is here!" I hear my mother call.

"Huh? Oh, Merric is here, I have to go." I jump off the stool and push it back where I moved it from. "Bye!" I call as I run out of the kitchen.

I run over to my mother, who eyes me suspiciously. "What have I told you about bothering the cooks? Leave them be and go play with Merric."

"Okay." I turn around and see Merric standing next to my sister.

I go over to them. "Hey Merric!" I smile.

He looks over, then smiles back. He comes up to me.

"I heard you got caught sneaking around the village. What were you doing anyway?" He asks teasingly.

"I wasn't sneaking! The hunting dogs were chasing me, and a man saved me. He was really nice too. Hey, you've been to town a lot; do you know who Elis is?" I ask him excitedly as we make our way back to my room.

"Yeah I know him. He's mean and he don't like kids. You aren't saying he's the one who saved you, are ya'?" Merric laughs.

"Yes, he is the one who saved me. And he wasn't mean at all. He liked me!" I complain.

"He liked you? Or he just knew you're the prince?" The green haired mage teases.

"Well,"

"See? He was just being nice because you're the prince. He's a mean ol' guy."

"Next time you see him, will you tell him I said hi? Please?" I beg.

"Yeah, yeah. Anything to make him kill me!" Merric laughs.

I stare down at the ground as we go into my room. Is he really mean? Was he really only being nice to me because I'm the prince? Hopefully not. He was being nice before he found out I was the prince, so maybe he's being nice because he likes me.

"Hey Marth, there's a huge group of people coming into the courtyard!" Merric gasps as he stares out my window.

I go over to the window and look down. I see the same large group of people, now standing in the courtyard. I see my mother coming out of the castle.

"They must be the Greil Mercenaries," I breathe.

"Well? Come on! I hear they came all the way from Crimea! Let's go check em' out!" Merric turns and runs out of my room.

I quickly follow him. We run down the stairs, then through the throne room and outside. We stop running. I walk up behind my mother, then peer around her. Tons of huge, burly men stand, all holding large swords or battle axes.

"Hey, look at him! His nose is huge!" I hear Merric giggle as he points to a large man with a battle axe.

His nose _is_ huge! I see a blue haired boy standing beside him. He's muscular, but he doesn't look much older than me. I wonder how he got so muscular. Why is he with them anyway? He must be way too young!

"Your majesty, this is our newest mercenary, Ike. He's my son." The man with the huge nose says, then pushes Ike forward.

I watch as Ike kneels in front of her, his head down. I can't stop staring at him! He's so… I feel my heart jump as he raises his head and sees me. His eyes get wide in surprise. I watch as he leans towards me, so I gasp and hide behind my mother's legs.

He comes around her, so I run in front of her. I hear Ike gasp in shock to see that I'm gone. My mother looks down at me, smiling. Ike stands back up normally and sees me in front of her. I yelp and run behind her again.

"Your majesty, who is that?" The huge nose guy asks.

"He is my son, Prince Marth. Sorry, he's very shy." She smiles politely.

I watch as Ike leans over again, looking at me questioningly. "_Prince_? He doesn't look like a guy," Ike stares at me.

I feel my face flush in embarrassment.

"Ike! Be respectful!" Huge Nose snaps.

"Sorry," Ike looks down.

I come a little closer to him, still keeping my head low. "Uh, H-hi, I-Ike," I stutter quietly.

"Hi! Why are you so shy?" He asks as he kneels where he was standing.

"I-I don't… I'm not around people a lot," My voice is barely more than a whisper.

I stand up slightly, when I feel someone shove me from behind. I yelp as I fall right onto Ike. He gasps as we both fall over. I groan and sit up a little. He opens his eyes and looks at me. I feel my face start burning.

"I-I'm sorry!" I quickly scramble up off him, then turn around.

I see Merric stifling his laugh past a hand. "Merric!" I whine, then shove him back.

"Hey! I was helping you stand up!" Merric laughs, then shoves me back towards Ike.

I regain my balance, then look back to Ike. I help him stand back up.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to land on you," I apologize as I stare down at the ground.

"Eh. It's fine." Ike shrugs.

"Marth, why don't you show Ike around the castle while I speak with his father?" My mother suggests.

And be stuck with him even longer? I can barely talk near him! I look back to Ike, who is staring at the castle.

"O-okay." I stutter, then turn around to Ike. "Do you want to go inside?" I finally get my voice calm.

"I can go inside? Sure." He walks up to me.

I turn and start toward the castle. Ike is walking beside me. Merric is also following me. We go into the castle. I don't know what I'm supposed to show him, the castle is so boring!

"So, Prince Marth, do you think we could ditch the green head there? I kind of want to talk to you _alone_." Ike leans toward me, whispering so Merric doesn't hear.

I feel my face flush. I look at Merric.

"Hey Merric?" He looks over at the sound of his name. "Do you think I could talk to Ike alone for a minute? It's really important." I give him a sincere look.

"Oh, I see how it is." He gives me and Ike a devious look. "Sure, I'll go, but I never knew you were the date at first sight type."

"What?! No, Merric, it's nothing like that, I swear! Besides, you know I already have a fiancé picked for me," I gasp, my face turning deep red.

"Yeah, yeah. I think you should be able to pick. But hey, I'll see you later." Merric turns and goes back toward the doors.

I watch him go, feeling a little bad for making him go like that. I turn back to Ike. He's staring at me.

"So, w-what did you want to talk about?" I force out as his indigo stare lingers on me.

"Do you think we could go somewhere a little more private?" He looks around a little.

"Uh, yeah, follow me." I say quietly then head toward my room, my head down.

He follows me as we go up the stairs. Once we get to my room, we go inside and I close the door.

"Your room, I'm guessing?" Ike looks around, but there isn't much in my room.

"Yeah." I sit on the edge of my bed, staring down into my lap.

"So, I was wondering if you're really a guy." Ike sits beside me casually.

"W-what?!" I jump up, my face burning in embarrassment.

"Well, it's just that, you don't _look_ like a guy. You don't really sound like one either." Ike stares at my body.

"Yes, I'm a guy! I'm only five! I'm not supposed to be all huge and manly like you!" I yell at him in defense.

"Alright, alright, you don't need to yell or anything. I was just wondering." The bigger boy stands and takes a step closer.

"Well thanks for stopping by, and _questioning my gender_, but you can happily go now." I open the door and point outside.

"Hey, what if I say I'm sorry? Will that make it better?" He stays where he is.

"Please, just go." I look away, feeling anger well up inside.

"I'm sorry." As he walks past, he stops beside me and cups my face in his hands.

I gasp and look back to him. He leans closer and softly kisses me. I feel my body freeze in embarrassment. I can't do anything, I can barely blink. He lets me go, then leaves the room. I watch him go.

I quickly go down the stairs, following Ike. I catch up to him easily. I put a hand on his shoulder, making him look back at me.

"W-wait, what was that?" I ask embarrassedly.

"A kiss, of course." Ike smirks at me.

"Well, I know _that_, but _why_? Why did you kiss me? You just told me you thought I was a girl, then when I said I wasn't you kissed me!" I demand.

"Because I think you're cute. Both boys and girls can be cute, you know." He states nonchalantly.

"I know, but you kissed me! Are you gay?" I question.

"So what if I am?"

"Well, I…" I look down, wondering how he could possibly think I'm cute.

"Don't tell me you think I'm cute too!" He laughs.

"No, I don't, it's just, my mother says being gay is a sin, but I don't think that's true." I suddenly remember Elis. "Hey, you can go to town, will you bring me?" I ask hopefully.

"Into town? Yeah sure. Nice subject change, by the way." He turns and heads toward the front doors.

I follow quickly. He goes outside. Nobody is outside anymore, so he just walks straight to the draw bridge. I follow, more cautiously. I look around, trying not to get caught again. Ike walks across the draw bridge, then waits for me on the other side.

I run over to him, looking back at the castle. He then starts walking on to the town. I follow quickly, running ahead of him. I feel something grab the back of my tunic, and I almost fall backward. Ike then walks past me.

"If you get hurt, I'm going to be the beheaded one, so calm down." He states, then walks ahead.

"I won't get hurt. I'm going to see someone very important." I huff, and then walk up beside him.

"Well whatever. Just don't get hurt." Ike rolls his eyes.

We get to the market, where I stop and look around to see if I can find Elis. I don't see him anywhere, but I do see the lady who bandaged my arm. I run over to her. She turns around, then looks down.

"Oh dear, why are you out of the castle again Prince Marth?" She smiles down at me.

"I'm looking for Mr. Elis. Do you know where he is?" I ask as I stand on my toes to see her better.

"He's at home. He lives at the end of the village. I see you have a little body guard there. What's his name?" She looks at Ike.

"Huh? Oh, he's not my body guard. He's my friend. His name is Ike, and he's a mercenary!" I look over my shoulder at Ike, then back to her.

"Oh is he now? He must be part of the Greil Mercenaries then, huh? I just saw them pass through here."

"Yeah, he is! So, I'm going to go find Elis now, so bye!"I turn and run off toward the end of the village.

I hear Ike following me. I get to the end of town, when I see a house with a dead tree in the middle of the yard. That must be his house! I run up to the gate surrounding the yard. I see the large, muscular man lying in the middle of his yard, right under the dead tree.

I smile and go through the gate. I run over to him, but he doesn't notice me. His hands are behind his head and he's completely stretched out. I smile and stand over his stomach, then sit down softly. My hands are on his chest, waiting for him to wake up.

His green eyes open wide; shocked that something is on him. Once he sees me, he quickly sits up. I slip off him, landing on my ass in between his legs. I giggle a little, then look up at him.

"Prince Marth? What are you doing here?" He asks in shock.

"I wanted to see you again!" I smile happily, my voice high.

"You… You snuck out of the castle to come see someone you barely know?" He questions.

"Well I don't know about _sneaking_, but yeah! You saved my life!" I smile happily again.

"I…" He stops and smiles, then picks me up. "I've never met someone as kind and dedicated as you."

"Hey, I'm not the one who saved the life of someone they've never met." I shrug.

He chuckles as he hugs me. I happily hug back, smiling with my eyes closed as I press my cheek against his chest. He pulls away and lies back again. I sit on his stomach, my hands on his chest. I watch Ike sit down where he was standing.

"Mr. Elis, I forgot to ask the day you saved me. How would you feel if I was your son?" I ask, my head tipped to the side.

"Huh? Well… I guess, well I'm sure we'd be just fine." He answers, his face tinged pink.

"Really? That's great!" I hug him tightly again, feeling him hug back. "So, Mr. Elis, I had a dream, where I was your son, and we were so happy, you let me sleep in your bed sometimes too. My parents _never_ let me do that. They say I need to be a real man, but I'm only five, so I don't even know what that means."

"Well I'll tell you what. If you go on back to the castle, and stop sneaking out, I'll try to go visit you there. I think it's wrong how your father hits you, especially in public." Elis bribes me.

"So, you mean you don't want to see me?" I feel tears threaten to well up in my eyes, but I hold them back.

"No, it's not that, I just don't want to see you get in trouble or get hit. So you and your friend go, and in about an hour, I'll go to the castle to spend a little more time with you, okay?" Elis softly pets the back of my head as he speaks.

"Okay. Oh, and my friend's name is Ike. He's a big, strong mercenary!" I look over at him.

He looks at me, then back to the market. I look at Elis again. We hug again, then I get up off him.

"So, you'll come to the castle? Really?" I ask hopefully, my hands held to my chest.

"Yes. I don't know if they'll let me see you, but I'll be there." He reassures me.

"Okay!" I turn and grab Ike's arm. "Come on!" I pull him back toward the castle.

He follows me. We run through the market and back into the court yard. I see the man with the huge nose coming out of the castle.

"Ike! Get your ass over here!" He calls out, probably mad that we left.

I watch as Ike looks at me, then runs over to the man.

"Yes?" Ike looks up at the man.

"Where the hell were you?" He demands, but I can tell he wouldn't ever hurt Ike like my father would have.

"I was just with Prince Marth," Ike replies quietly.

"Well that's fine, but come on. We've been looking for you for several minutes." He turns and goes back into the castle.

I quickly run toward it and slip through the door before it closes all the way. I watch them walk into the throne room, where my mother is seated in the throne next to my father's and my sister is sitting beside her.

All the mercenaries are in the throne room. They watch the man with the huge nose lead Ike up to the queen. I follow them quickly. Just as I'm about to grab a hold of the small red cape Ike is wearing, I suddenly trip.

I keep quiet, but look over to my left. I see a small boy, about the same age as Ike and I. He has long black hair and red eyes. I notice a small red mark on his forehead. He's glaring at me, so I figure it was him who tripped me.

I get back up and go to run to him again, but I'm held back. I look behind me and see him holding me by my belt.

"Back off, girly. He's mine you know." He glares at me more.

"What? Let me go!" I demand as I pull myself away from him.

"Hey, stupid crossbreed let him go! Don't you know he's the prince?" Someone next to the boy snaps while smacking him in the back of the head.

He glares at me still, but he drops me.

"Apologize!" The other man demands.

"Whatever. I'm sorry, little spoiled brat." I turn and run away from him, wondering why he's so angry with me.

I never did anything to him; I didn't even know he _existed_ three minutes ago! I run up to Ike. He looks at me then to the queen. I stand beside him, but my mother is looking at me.

"Marth, you know you're supposed to be up here, what are you doing down there?" My mother asks.

"Uh…" I feel my face get red, but I run over to her, then stand beside my sister.

Ike is staring at me, but I can also see the black haired boy glowering at me. I look away from him and back to Ike and his father.

"So, your majesty, we had received word that you needed our assistance?" The man with the huge nose says loudly.

"Yes, Greil, we are in great need of assistance. As you know, Doluna has allied with Akaenia, Thracia, and Bern. We've sent word to Ostia and Pherae, but they have yet to arrive. King Cornelius is currently en route to the border at Thracia, but from the last battle, our troops are weak and few in number. We thank you for your support." The queen says.

"We will depart immediately. But I have a request. May we leave our youngest here? I do not wish for them to be harmed or killed in war." Greil requests.

"Yes, that is fine. How many will be staying here?" My mother stands up as she replies.

"Only two. Ike, as you have already met and another named Soren. They are the same age as your son." He says, then looks back at the group. "Soren, come here."

I watch, my heart dropping as the black haired boy comes up, smiling smugly at me. He stands beside Ike, rather close. The queen glances at him, then back to Greil.

"We wish you luck in war." She dips her head as they all kneel before her.

I watch as they all rise, then turn and, lead by Greil, start to leave. I return my stare back to Ike. I watch him run from where he was standing over to the large group of mercenaries.

"Father, wait!" Ike calls out as he weaves past peoples' legs and runs up to his father.

"Yes? What is it?" He asks as he turns around.

Ike jumps up and hugs him around his large neck. I watch as they hug, then Greil puts Ike down again.

"Don't get hurt, okay?" Ike tells his father.

"I'll try." He replies as softly ruffles Ike's already ruffled hair.

Ike watches his father leave, then when they are all gone, goes back over to Soren.

"Marth, why don't you show these two the guest rooms?" My mother looks at me.

"Both of them? Why not only Ike?" I ask, as I don't want to be with Soren.

"Marth! Don't be rude! Now go!" She snaps at me.

I quickly run down to them, and up to Ike. I completely ignore Soren.

"Come on, I'll show you the guest rooms." I tell Ike.

We turn and they follow me into a long hall. Just as we get into the hall, I feel something grab my hand. I stop and look down. I look up again. Ike smiles at me, then starts walking, pulling my arm with him. I follow him, smiling happily.

We walk down the hall, hand in hand, while Soren follows, glaring angrily at me. I lead them to the guest rooms. There are two beds in each room, and I doubt Soren will mind sharing a room with Ike.

"So… Yeah… This is where you two will be staying, I guess." I say as Ike lets go of my hand and looks around.

Soren glances at the sparsely adorned room, then back out into the hallway. Ike comes back over to me.

"So, do you want to go play?" He asks me, probably wanting to get away from Soren.

"Yeah! Come on." I leave the room, Ike following me.

We walk back into the throne room. My mother and sister are gone now.

"So, I see you were really worried about your father getting hurt. I wish I loved my father like you do. My father hurts me a lot." I sigh as I stare at the tiled ground.

"Really? That must suck. Well, my mother is dead, and he's all I've had. He takes good care of me, too. So, I guess it's normal that I love him." Ike just shrugs.

"Are you really a mercenary? Or are you just called one because of your father?" I ask curiously as we start up towards my room.

"I've been learning how to use a sword, and I've actually went with them to war once when we were helping Caelin. That was about a month ago. I wasn't allowed to fight, but I got to watch them all fight." Ike explains as I open the door to my room.

We go inside, and I close the door. I watch as he goes and sits on my bed. I follow him and climb up onto my bed, then move over to the headboard. I Sit down, then look at Ike. He smiles at me as he moves and sits beside me.

"I don't see the point in such violence. It's so… Bloody, and wrong. I hate that we go to war. There's no point. It causes more harm than good." I sigh unhappily as I lean a little closer to him.

I feel him wrap his arms around my shoulders, pulling me up against his side. He hugs me tight, making me blush.

"Don't worry. I'm sure when you're king, Altea will be really peaceful." Ike reassures me.

"Yeah, but that's a long time from now. I don't even want to be king. I want to be just like everyone else." I tell him quietly.

"You are just like everyone else. Yeah, you're a lot prettier than most other people I've seen, and you don't like fighting and war, but that's a good thing. You shouldn't like fighting and war. You're just like everyone else, only prettier." I hear Ike laugh.

"Ike…" I smile.

"Marth! Marth, you have company!" I hear my mother call form down stairs.

I lift my head and look at the door. Is Elis here now? Is my mother really going to let me see him? Ike lets me go, and we leave the room. I quickly go downstairs, then run up to my mother.

"Who's here?" I ask, hoping its Elis.

"The man who saved you a couple days ago. He wants to talk to you." She tells me, then walks into the hall.

I look over and see him standing beside the door. I quickly run over to him, smiling happily.

"Hi Elis!" I smile brightly as I stop in front of him.

"Hi Marth. I'm surprised she's letting me see you." Elis comments.

"Yeah, I am too. But why did you want to come here? The castle is so boring." I groan as I look at the dark, cold stone walls.

"Don't you remember that I told you I was going to come see you in an hour?" Elis asks as he looks down at me.

"Oh… Yeah… Well, guess what? Ike and Soren are going to be living with me! Well, I'm not too happy about Soren, but I'm happy about Ike!" I say as I jump up and look back to Ike.

"Really? Why are they staying here?" He asks as he looks at Ike.

"Because his father went to war, and he didn't want Ike to get hurt, so he's staying here. Same with Soren. But Soren tripped me, and I don't even know why!" I complain.

"Why?" Elis asks.

"I don't know." I shrug as I turn around.

I can see out the window. Large, dark grey clouds line the horizon. They're coming in quickly, too. I groan, but look back to Ike and Elis.

"You know, dinner's going to be soon. I know what we're having for dinner!" I tell the two.

"Well that's kind of to be expected." Ike says plainly.

"Well I only know because I like to talk to the chef, but Mother doesn't know what's for dinner. Neither does my sister." I state as I keep staring at the clouds. "Elis, look at those clouds. Do you think it'll snow? It is almost winter." I ask as I watch the clouds cover the sun.

"Probably not. It's probably just rain." Elis comments as he leans down beside me.

"Oh. The sound of rain is scary. I don't like it." I sigh quietly.

"It's not scary, but I guess it is lonely sounding." The green haired man looks over at me.

"Yeah, lonely is a better word for it. Sometimes I feel really lonely because… Just because." I shrug.

"Just because? Or is it because you have no friends?" Ike asks as he stands beside me.

"Aren't you my friend? Besides, even if you aren't, Merric is my friend." I glare at him.

"Okay, fine, I'm your friend. Who's Merric?" The small, blue haired boy asks.

"The one who wears that stupid blue cloak all the time. He's got green hair, and he's the one who pushed me into you." I explain as I look over at Elis.

He's staring at me. I smile and move closer to him. He wraps his arms around me and hugs me, making me blush, but smile at the same time. Ike gets down from the window and looks at me.

"I'm going to go find Soren. Hopefully he hasn't gotten himself into trouble." I watch as he starts down the hall back toward the guest rooms.

I turn back to Elis. I climb up into his lap and press myself to his stomach. I feel him wrap his arms tighter around me, laying his head down on the top of mine. I smile and put my hands on his. I close my eyes happily.

"Marth, this isn't uncomfortable for you, is it?" I hear Elis ask quietly.

"Nope. I'm very comfortable." I answer as I snuggle closer to him.

I can't see his face, but I'm hoping he's smiling. I suddenly hear footsteps, so I open my eyes again. I see Noob, which isn't his real name, but I can't remember his name, so I call him Noob, come up to us.

"Sire, your mother sent me to get you. Dinner is ready." He says as he stares at Elis.

"Can Elis come too?" I ask as I hold his hands tighter.

"Uh, I guess," He answers unsurely.

"Okay!" I pull myself out of his arms and stand up.

I turn around to Elis and watch as he stands up. I smile at him, but he doesn't smile back.

"Marth, I should really be getting home. Especially since that storm is coming in." Elis says quietly.

"Huh? But why? Don't you want to stay here?" I ask as I move a little closer to him.

"It's not that I don't want to stay, it's just that I should get home before it starts raining. I don't really have any way of getting warm again once I'm soaked." He says as he looks down at the ground.

"Oh." I also look down at the ground.

I move closer, feeling tears threaten to well up in my eyes. I don't know why I feel like I'll cry because he has to leave. I move closer and lay my head against his stomach. I feel a hand on my shoulder, then another arm wrap around my shoulders.

I put my hands on his sides, the tears coming and stinging my eyes. I feel Elis softly rub my back. I wonder if he knows I'm crying.

"Marth, don't worry, I'll try to come back tomorrow." I hear Elis try to calm me quietly.

"But I want you to stay now." I whimper quietly.

"Honey, why are you crying?" He asks, just as quiet as before as he kneels in front of me.

"Because I don't want you to go. Please, stay." I beg as I rub my head on his chest.

"Oh Marth," He sighs as he stares down at me.

I wrap my arms around him as much as I can. I burry my face farther into his chest, letting my tears go. I cry quietly into his chest as he rubs my back.

"Please, stay just for a little while longer," I plea, my voice a whisper.

"Okay, but if I get sick from the rain later, I'm blaming you." Elis chuckles.

"Okay!" I smile as I rub my head against his chest.

"Come on, your mother is expecting you." Elis picks me up and softly dries my tears.

I lay my head down on his shoulder, smiling. "I'm sorry I forced you to stay, but maybe you could stay the night, instead of going home in the cold and rain." I whisper quietly.

"Maybe." He says as he follows Noob into the dining hall.

I see my mother, Ike, Soren, and Elice all sitting at the table. Elis puts me down. I run over to my mother.

"Mother, can Elis have dinner with us?" I ask, staring up at her pleadingly.

"Yes, of course. Please, have a seat." I run back over to Elis happily and pull him over towards the table.

I lead him over to my chair, then pull a chair out for him, right next to mine. I sit down in my chair, then look back to him. He slowly sits down, as if he's unsure about if he really can or not. Once he sits, the chefs bring out dinner.

Ike and Soren look just as nervous as Elis. Everyone is served the beef stew I had watched the chef make earlier. I move my chair closer to Elis. We're so close our arms are touching. I look at him and smile brightly. He smiles back.

"So, Elis, is your name, right?" My mother asks as she lifts her spoon delicately.

"Uh, yes, your majesty." The green haired man dips his head respectfully.

"Well, thank you for saving my son that day. I apologize for my husband reacting like that. We both are very grateful for what you did." She says respectfully.

"Oh, it was nothing. You know, your son is very adorable." Elis looks at me, softly putting his hand on the top of my head.

I blush heavily, but my mother giggles.

"Yes, he is." She agrees, but I lower my head and start eating.

I avoid all the pieces of beef, but eat everything else. D inner goes by uneventful, every once in a while someone says something. Once we all finish eating, I go with Ike and Soren back to their room while my mother talks with Elis.

"Soren, why do you hate me?" I ask as I sit on Ike's bed beside him.

"Because you're stupid, and you like Ike." He replies.

"Soren! Stop being so rude!" Ike yells at the branded.

"No, he's right." I sigh as I stand up and go to the door.

"Marth, wait," Ike also gets up and goes to the door.

"No, I've got to go get ready for bed anyway." I say as I leave the room.

As I close the door, I hear Ike yelling at Soren for being so mean to me. I start down the hall, when I hear footsteps coming toward me from behind. I stop and turn around. I see Daran, my father's most trusted knight.

"Ah, there you are prince Marth. I've been looking for you." He says quietly. "I was wondering, would you want to play a game with me?"

I can help but feel excited. I nod my head yes and move a little closer.

"Alright, well you've got to follow me so we can play the game. So, come on." He turns and starts down the hall.

I hesitate for a second, but then follow him. He starts down the hall toward the dungeon. I stop where I am. The knight stops and turns around to me.

"What are you waiting for honey? Come on." He reaches out and softly takes my hand.

"No, Mother says I can't go down there." I pull my hand away.

"Well we're just playing a game, so it's fine." He insists.

"No," I object quietly as he grabs a hold of my arm.

He easily drags me down the dark stairs. I can hear the prisoners talking quietly to one another. I whimper as we walk past the cells. All the people go quiet and watch as he takes me down the hall. We go into one of the cells. I whimper as he closes the cell door.

"So, you got him Daran?" One of the prisoners in the cell across from the one we're in asks.

"Yeah, easily too." He laughs.

I watch as he leaves the cell, closing it before I can get out. He takes a key out of his pocket and locks the door. I sit on my knees, holding the bars as I stare up at him. I feel tears come to my eyes.

"Why did you bring me down here? Please let me go." I whimper as I stare up at him pleadingly.

"No, I'm getting a lot of money for you, and I need it. My family has to suffer because of your father, so you, his son, will be the one punished." I can see a look of regret on his face as he stares down at me.

"But what have I ever done to you? I've never done anything to anyone before!" I cry as I lower my head.

He kneels in front of me. I lean away from him as he reaches through the bar toward me. I close my eyes tight as he softly pets my cheek with the back of his hand.

"No, you haven't done anything to me. I'm sorry, I really am, but my family means much more to me than you do, and if I don't do this, I could lose them." Daran says quietly as he strokes my cheek. "I'm sorry, but good bye."

I watch as he stands up. He looks behind me as he stands.

"He's all yours now." He says quietly, then starts off back toward the entrance.

"Wait! Please, don't leave me down here!" I call out for him as I reach toward him.

He gets up to the door when he turns around to me. I reach out for him again, but I know he's much too far for me to reach.

"Please, come back!" I beg.

He steps back and slowly closes the door. The room goes completely black. I stare at where the door is for a minute before. I pull away from the bars and move over to the corner. I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs.

I burry my face into my arms as I start crying quietly. Will my mother come save me? What about Elis? Does he know I'm gone? And if he does, does he care? I hear something scrape across the floor. I look up. My eyes have adjusted to the dark, so I can see.

I see a man staring at me. I feel my heart jump. He comes up to me.

"So you're the prince?" He says in his gruff voice.

"Uhh," I force out, my eyes wide and my heart racing.

"Well that is sufficient enough for me. Come here." I watch as he holds his arms out.

I press myself to the wall more, keeping away from him as much as I can. He reaches out and picks me up. I pull myself away from him, but he holds on to me tighter. I push on his chest, but I suddenly feel something lightly touch my neck. I look back to the man unsurely.

"W-what was that?" I ask quietly as I look at him through teary eyes.

I watch as he leans down again and starts licking and kissing my neck. I push on his head, feeling almost frantic. Surprisingly, he lifts his head and puts me down. I look up at him confusedly.

"Uhh," I back away a little, staring up at him in fear.

"So, _Prince_ Marth, I've changed my mind. Come on, let's play a game." I watch as he sits back against the wall.

"No! The last time someone said they wanted to play the brought me down here and put me in a cell! I don't want to play your games!" I get up and run back over to the bars.

I press myself to them and slowly sit back down on the ground. I watch as he stands up, looking at me.

"Aww, you can trust me little prince." He sits down beside me, close enough to touch.

"If I can trust you, why are you down here?" I ask as I look over at him.

"Well, I was a thief. I tried to steal from your father so I could support my girlfriend and our child. I haven't seen them in so long. I hope they're alright." He sighs as he stares down at the ground.

"Where are you from?" I ask quietly.

"I'm from a small village near Renais. Well, I _was_ from a small village near Renais. It got destroyed, which is why I became a thief." He looks back to me.

"Oh. I'm sorry," I whisper as I look away again.

"No, don't be. It was the work of Grado men that destroyed my home. By the way, my name's Colm." Colm says.

"Colm?" I look over at him curiously. "If you're a thief, why don't you just sneak out of here?"

"Well if I tried and got caught, I'd be beheaded. So…" He looks away, smirking a little.

"Oh…" I look away again.

"Come here." I feel him grab my sides, then lift me up and put me in his lap.

I stare up at him unsurely. He softly caresses my cheek, then pulls my closer, snuggling me to his chest. I keep my hands on my chest, staring at him confusedly.

"Here, come on back here into my little corner, you can take a nap, and when you wake up, I'll make you feel all better, okay?" He stands up and carries me back into the corner he was sitting in when I first got here.

I see that he has a dark blue cape on the floor where he was sitting. He sits down on it, then softly puts me on it. I look up at him as he folds part of it over me. I roll over onto my side and curl up. I sigh as I hear Colm lay down behind me.

I feel a hand on my side, so I look over my shoulder. I watch as he thief softly pets my side. I lay my head back down again. Tears come and sting my eyes. I hope someone comes and saves me soon. I curl up into a tighter ball.

I feel something press to my back. I look over my shoulder again. Colm is lying behind me. He looks asleep. I whimper and cover my head with my arms. I start to slowly fall asleep.

-Who Knows When Later-

I suddenly feel really cold. Not only that, but I feel something _inside_ me, and it _hurts_. I open my eyes quickly. I try to sit up, but I feel a searing pain in my backside. I yelp and quickly lay back down. I look down.

I see Colm sitting over me. I feel whatever is inside me move out, then it goes back in. It feels strange, but somehow… Good.

"W-what are you… doing?" I ask in a shaky voice as it starts picking up speed and thrusting into me faster.

"Does it feel good?" He asks quietly.

I keep quiet, not wanting to answer. He smirks at me, then pulls whatever was just in me out. I stare at him in disgust as he puts both his hands down beside me. I notice one of his fingers is wet. My small body is covered in a thin sheet of sweat.

I'm so cold because I'm naked. When did I take my clothes off? No, he took my clothes off. He took my clothes off and he put his finger inside me. He reaches up and softly pets my cheek.

"I was hoping you'd wake up soon." Colm smiles softly.

"Why did you take my clothes off?" I ask as I push his hand off me and sit up a little.

"Because I was curious." I blush heavily as he leans down and rubs his face across my lower stomach.

"Stop it," I push on his head, but he stays where he is.

I watch as he slowly licks my stomach, then lowers a little more and starts licking in between my faintly defined 'v' lines. I pull myself away from him and move away. I feel him grab a handful of my hair and pull me back toward him.

I whimper as I fall onto my back. He moves closer to me. I notice he's also naked. I whimper and try to pull away from him.

"No, no, come on, stop moving. It'll be easier that way." Colm soothes as he stands over me.

"Please, leave me alone," I plea quietly.

"But why? You're so beautiful for a five year old." The blue haired thief chuckles.

"Because you're hurting me. Because I don't like it." I point out, my voice quiet.

"Oh I haven't even really hurt you yet." I watch as he reaches down and grabs his cock.

He starts softly stroking it. I watch, my face dark red as it stands up on its own. Colm lowers himself so he's sitting. I look away from his standing member. I feel hands on my sides, then I'm lifted up. I yelp and start flailing, trying to get him to put me down.

"No! Put me down, put me down!" I demand as tears stream down my cheeks.

"Oh goddess, go ahead, be a little louder. For a five year old, you've got a nice voice." I watch as Colm puts his head back.

I feel something try and force into my hole. I cringe in pain as I feel the head of his cock get forced into my ass. Colm moans as he starts forcing me farther down his erection. I push on his arms desperately, squeezing my legs together as I do.

"Please, take it out!" I cry as he forces me down farther.

I feel it tearing and stretching my muscles. I grip his arms tightly, holding back a shriek of pain. Colm suddenly grabs my arms and pulls them around to my back. He holds my wrists tightly.

"Marth, you know, I'm really happy I changed my mind. You feel amazing. So... tight," Colm rolls us over so I'm on the ground with him above me.

I stare up at him pleadingly, begging him to let me go. He just chuckles and starts thrusting his large cock into me. I feel the large member slick with my blood. I claw at the ground, writhing in intense pain.

"Stop! Stop! It hurts!" I scream, the hot tears burning my cheeks.

Instead of stopping, he starts moving faster. I shriek in pain. I continue to cry loudly, pleading for him to stop. I beg and plead, but no matter what I do or say, he keeps thrusting into me. I feel something dripping inside me.

I look back to the thief. I see a white liquid drip from the tip of my cock. I whimper and look away, my voice hoarse from my screaming and pleading. I whimper and push on him, but it's as if he can't feel or hear me.

He suddenly slams into something deep inside me. I throw my head back and scream in a painful, yet pleasurable feeling. Colm leans down and sinks his teeth into my small collar bone. I cry out in pain again as I feel blood slowly spread across my chest.

The thief moves and licks up the blood dripping down my chest and sides. I let out a quiet whimper as I feel him softly bite down on my left nipple. I reach toward his head and grab a handful of his short, dark blue hair.

I pull his hair, yelling at him to let go as I do. He reaches up and also grabs my hair. I yelp in pain as he quickly yanks my head to the side. I let go of his hair, whimpering quietly. He moves down and licks my stomach.

"Stop! Stop!" I scream as I feel a strange pressure building up in my stomach.

"Your pleading is useless," I hear Colm mumble as he bends down as much as he can and licks at the tip of my cock, which is oozing a sticky, white liquid.

He bites down hard on the tip, making me buck my hips into his mouth. I feel more tears come and stream down the sides of my face. I cry out in pain, but all I receive in answer is another bite. He starts groping at my petite body, leaving long, bleeding scratches on my arms and back.

I scream out as I feel the pressure in my stomach relieved as I cum all over both our chests and stomachs. I fall down on my back, panting heavily and crying. I feel almost too exhausted to move. Though I'm not moving anymore, Colm continues to thrust into me, making my tiny body bounce painfully with each of his violent thrusts.

Colm suddenly stops and grunts. I feel something hot pour into me. I gasp as it drips from my backside. Colm holds himself up above me, panting heavily. I whimper as he pulls his large cock out. I feel extremely relieved as the pain somewhat subdues and I don't feel so full.

I close my eyes and turn my head away. I can still feel hot blood dripping from my backside and the scratches on my body. The thief moves away from me and sits against the wall. I hear something hit against metal. Out of curiosity, I look over slowly.

I see my father staring down at me on the other side of the bars. I feel my heart leap. I roll over quickly and try to sit up.

"Father!" I reach out toward him, hoping he'd help me.

"Why didn't you do it?" He looks back to the man behind me.

"I…I couldn't. I felt bad enough for raping him." Colm looks away, his voice quiet.

"Fine, I'll do it myself." I watch in hope as he opens the cell.

I sit up a little and look at him hopefully, a small smile on my face. He stands just in front of me. He reaches down to me. I quickly take his hand with both of mine, staring at him with wide, pleading eyes. He just stares at me, his eyes looking confused.

"Father, please, take me out of here," I beg almost silently, afraid he might hurt me if I speak any louder.

He reaches down and grabs me under my arms. He picks me up and holds me to his chest. I lay my head down on his chest, crying tears of relief.

"What the hell are you doing? What happened to you hating him and wanting him to die?" I hear Colm ask angrily.

"I…" He stops and looks down at me.

Does he really want me to die? Was all this his fault? I reach up and put my hands on his chest, staring at him unsurely. He looks back down at me.

"Remember what the fortune teller told you? He's going to be the reason for your down fall. Get rid of him now and you won't have to worry about that." The thief encourages him.

"I'd never do anything to hurt you, father. I'd never do anything to hurt anyone." I say quietly, hoping to help change his mind.

"Not now, maybe, but when you're older, you will. You are a threat. So I… I must get rid of the threat you possess." He pulls me off him and holds me away from him.

I dangle in his grip, feeling fear start to choke me. Tears well up in my eyes.

"Please father! I don't even know what you mean by what you just said! How can you think I'm bad if I can barely understand what you're saying?!" I beg, my heart beating frantically.

"I know, but someday you will understand, and that is when you become a threat." I yelp as he lets me go and I drop to the ground.

I land on my ass, but I soon carefully pull myself to my knees. Just as I look up at him, I feel something slice across my cheek. I hold back a scream of pain, but bring a hand up to my cheek. I hold my face as I let the tears go.

I watch as my father drops the sword in his hands and kneels in front of me. I back away, my eyes wide in fear. He reaches out to me slowly. Still, I back away, trembling in fear. He suddenly reaches forward and grabs my head.

I grab his arm and start pushing on it, but he lunges forward and slams the back of my head into the wall. I let out a pained whimper as I fall to the stone floor. King Cornelius kneels in front of me. I give him a pleading look, despite my blurry vision.

"Please father, don't hurt me anymore." I plea almost silently.

"Shut up! Just shut up! I am not your father, I hate the fact that you exist! You are a ruin to everything I had and could have! Just die already!" I close my eyes tightly as he raises a clenched fist.

I yelp as slams his fist into my side. I feel it start to bruise immediately, adding to the bruises I already had from Colm. He punches me again and again. Each time I'm hit I lose my breath again. I'm breathless and in intense pain. I'm confused and scared, and no one is helping me.

"Father, please stop!" I cry out, hoping he'll change his mind and save me instead.

"Can't you tell I'm not going to help you? I'm going to kill you so you can't stand in my way anymore." He yells at me as he grabs a handful of my hair.

He lifts me up by my hair, then grabs my throat with his free hand. I desperately push on his arm, sobbing in terror. I knew I wasn't my father's favorite, but I never knew he wanted to kill me. Just as I feel him start to squeeze on my throat, I hear someone come up to the cell we're in.

"Cornelius! Put him down!" I recognize my mother's voice.

I watch as she runs into the cell. She looks terrified for me. I feel hope in my stomach as I see Elis follow her into the cell. He immediately wraps his arms around me, then grabs and twists my father's arm so he lets go of my neck.

As soon as I'm free of his grip I turn around in his arms and press myself to his chest. I cry into his muscled chest, but I don't cry in fear or pain. I cry in pure relief.

"Please, take my son to your home. Take care of him, I'll find something to do when he's healed. Guards!" As soon as she calls, I hear the guards come running down the halls.

With Daran leading two other's they come into the small cell and restrain my father. Elis turns and runs out of the cell. I clutch tighter to his shirt and one of his arms as he runs quickly out of the dungeon. We run past the guest rooms, where I see Ike and Soren standing in their doorway, watching Elis carry me swiftly into the throne room, then into the entrance hall and finally outside.

It's dark and pouring rain outside. We're both soaked instantly. He runs out of the court yard. Once we're on the other side of the draw bridge, Elis stops running. He's panting heavily from all the running. He looks down at me as he slowly walks into town.

"Marth, are you okay?" The green haired man asks quietly.

"Y-yeah," I lie quietly as I burry my face farther into his chest.

"Don't worry; I'll make sure you get better." He reassures me as he softly rubs my side.

I hope my mother and sister will be okay. I hope the same for Ike and Soren. I wonder if I'll ever see them again. Elis stops walking. I don't know where, since my face is buried in his chest.

"Margret!" I hear him call loudly.

After about a moment, I hear a door open. I hear a shocked gasp.

"Elis, what's going on?" I hear another familiar voice.

I look over slowly. I see the woman who bandaged my arm when I first met Elis. She's starting at me in confusion.

"I need you to come to my house. I don't know how to take care of children and I've… Kind of acquired one." Elis says.

_Acquired one? Wow, thanks Elis. _I think to myself as I cuddle closer to him.

"W-why is he naked? And why is he so bloody and bruised?" She asks as she looks down at me.

I feel myself start shivering from the cold rain.

"Well his father was trying to kill him and I'm pretty sure he was raped before that." The man holding me explains quietly.

"Oh, poor boy. Well first things first, get him home! It's freezing and all wet out here! Do you want him to catch a cold?" Margret pushes Elis forward.

Elis starts back to his house quickly. I hear their wet footsteps the entire way. I soon hear a door open, and the rain stops pouring down onto me. I feel the rainwater drip off me. It's not much warmer in the house than it was out there.

"Okay, first, take him into the bathroom. We need to get him cleaned up." I move my head so I can see.

The room is dark, but I can see. There's almost nothing but a small fireplace, which isn't lit, and a small couch. I see two closed doors. I watch Margret go into one of the closed doors. It's the bathroom. Elis takes me inside.

They light several candles, illuminating the room. It's almost as bright as if it were day. I watch as Margret starts the bath. I cuddle closer to Elis, not wanting to be taken away from him. Though I cuddled closer to him, Margret carefully takes me from his arms.

"He's gonna need some place to sleep and get better, so go fix up your room. Make sure it's nice and warm, and everything is dry." Margret demands.

Elis stares down at me in pity for a second, then leaves to do what Margret told him to do. The blue haired woman looks down at me.

"I was hoping I'd see you again, but I really wish it wasn't under these circumstances. But at least you have a good home now. Elis and I will take great care of you." She softly strokes my cheek, then carefully puts me down in the bathtub.

I close my eyes as the hot water relaxes my muscles. It feels much better than the cold and aching I felt before. I'm blushing heavily, but I move down a little in the water, whimpering quietly from my sore body.

I feel soft hands start slowly massaging my sides, arms and chest, cleaning all the blood and semen off me. The touch is gentle, but it still hurts when she touches one of the numerous bruises or cuts. She finishes cleaning my small body quickly.

"Alright, we're gonna take you out, get you all nice and dry, then you can go to sleep with Elis. It's gonna take some time till you're all healed, so just let one of us know if you need anything, okay?" I hear Margret say quietly as she carefully lifts me up out of the bath.

I whimper as the cold air chills my skin. She holds me to her chest. I reach down and put my hands over my ass. She grabs a towel and carefully wraps it around my shoulders. I'm small enough that the towel covers all of me and still hangs off me.

I keep my hands on my ass. She doesn't notice it. I can feel the blood dripping from in between my fingers. She carefully sets me down on the floor. I can stand, but barely. I try to make sure the blood doesn't drip from my hands, but I'm not doing a good job.

I hear Margret gasp as she sees the blood drip to the floor. I look up at her, blushing heavily. I start suddenly feeling lightheaded. I sway a little, then fall back. She gasps again, then I feel her scoop me up off the ground.

"Elis!" I hear her cry out before I fall unconscious completely.

I hear voices. I recognize two of them, but the other one I can't make out. I open my eyes to slits. I can just barely see, and what I can see is blurry. I groan and turn my head away.

"Well at least we know he's still alive." I hear the unfamiliar voice say.

"What was wrong with him? Is he okay now?" I recognize Elis's voice.

"He fainted from blood loss. Was he… Raped? Because the injury that we had found was _inside_ him, and it is very severe. We currently have something that's helping stop the bleeding, but just like any other bandage it'll need to be changed when it gets to bloody." The other man explains.

"Oh… Um…" I can bet Elis is blushing heavily.

"Yes, it's a little on the awkward side, but it's the only thing that could help the bleeding, we've also completely bandaged his… Lower half, to help in case the bleeding gets too bad." He informs Elis.

"When can we take him home?" I feel a soft hand on my cheek.

I open my eyes and look up. I see Elis smile at me.

"After we get you some extra bandages and finish telling you how to care for him properly. It won't take long. Please follow me while the nurse finishes his check up." I watch as man with dark brown hair leave the room.

Elis kneels beside me. I look back to him. He cups my face in his hands. He looks worried, but relieved at the same time.

"Do you feel fine?" He asks quietly.

I nod my head yes slowly. He smiles as he softly strokes my cheek with his thumbs.

"Good. You've got nothing to worry about anymore. I'll take good care of you." As he stands up, he leans down and plants a delicate kiss on my forehead.

I watch in sorrow as Elis leaves the room with the man. A girl comes over to me holding a needle. She smiles at me.

"Hi Honey." She smiles.

"My name is Marth." I tell her quietly.

"Huh?" She suddenly looks confused.

"Not Honey." I correct her.

"Oh!" She giggles a little. "Marth, I wasn't saying your name was Honey, it's like a nickname." She walks around the bed I'm laying on.

I roll over onto my back slowly, then onto my side, just as slowly. She's facing away from me, messing with some things on a table. Once she turns around, she smiles at me again.

"Why Honey?" I ask.

"Why honey? Well because you're sweet. Like honey." She says as she wipes a needle with a small cloth.

"You can't say that, you don't know me. Besides. Honey is way too sweet. Sugar is sweet. But don't call me sugar." I explain.

"Okay, well than what can I call you?" She asks in mock anger.

"Marth." I reply plainly.

"Fine. You're a stingy little boy aren't you?" She teases as she comes to the edge of the bed.

"No, I'm just in a lot of pain, I don't know where I am or how I got here, and I just want to go home." I feel like tears might start to come and sting my eyes.

"I know, but you get to go home just after I give you this shot." She leans down in front of me and softly grabs my arm.

I look away and press my face into the pillow my head was on. I feel the needle stick my arm, but it doesn't hurt like I thought it would. After a second, she takes it out and wipes my arm softly. I look back to her.

She stands and throws the needle away. I try to sit up, but I quickly lay back down as my backside starts burning in pain. I whimper quietly as I tightly close my eyes. I hear a door open and Elis and the other man come back inside.

"Have you given him his shot?" The man asks the woman.

"Yes, I have. He's free to go." She smiles at me again, then leaves the room.

"Alright. Mr. Elis, make sure he doesn't get up. Actually, make sure he doesn't do anything. He needs to rest, and rest for a long time." The man tells Elis.

Elis leans down and carefully scoops me up off the bed. I immediately cuddle closer to him, putting a hand on his chest. I feel him pet my cheek softly as we follow the man out of the room. He leads us down a couple halls, then out into a large room.

I see other people staring at us. Elis stops and talks to a lady behind a desk. I look over at her. She smiles at me as she keeps talking to Elis. After they talk for a moment, Elis turns and carries me out of the building.

I cuddle closer to him as he holds me a little tighter. He carries me back to his house. Once we get there, he takes me inside and into his room. I look up at him pleadingly as he lays me don carefully on my back.

He turns to a small fireplace. He goes over to it and puts a couple logs inside, then starts a fire. I watch quietly, feeling very tired. After he starts the fire, he turns back to me. I watch as he pulls his blanket up to my chest.

"If you need anything, just call for me, okay? Don't try to get up or move, you might hurt yourself." He softly strokes my cheek, his voice quiet.

"Wait, are you leaving?" I ask.

"No, I'm just going to be out in the living room to give you some quiet." He tells me.

"Can you stay in here? At least until I fall asleep?" I give him a pleading look, hoping he'll stay.

He smiles faintly, then lies down on his side beside me. I cuddle a little closer to him, smiling happily as he wraps his arm around me and pulls me closer. I let my eyes half close as I lay my head against his muscled chest.

"I hope you're tired, because you're going to be sleeping for a while. You can't do anything until you're healed." Elis points out.

"I don't _want_ to do anything. I hurt _everywhere_…" I whine as I bury my face into his chest.

My entire body aches, and when I move to fast or sit up it gets worse. I feel Elis softly petting the back of my head, picking my hair up then dropping it again as he does so. I put a hand on his chest, somewhat covering my face with it.

I feel tears well up in my eyes as I think of what my father tried to do to me. Why did he try to kill me? What did he mean when he said that I'd be a threat to him? Why am I such a threat? I've never done anything to him! All this time I thought he loved me, even though he hurt me. It seems I was wrong; it seems as if he's hated me this whole time.

Will I ever go back to them? And if I do, will my father still hate me? What if I go back and he tries to kill me again? Am I going to be living with Elis now? Does this mean I'm not prince anymore? What will Ike and Soren do? Is my father going to hurt them too? Is Ike even worried about me? I know Soren isn't.

"Mr. Elis?" I call out quietly.

"Yes Marth?" I hear in reply.

"Can I ask you a couple questions?" I ask, my voice muffled by his chest.

"Sure."

"Will I ever go back to my mother and sister?" I inquire.

"I don't know." He replies.

"If I do, will my father still hate me?"

"I hope not."

"What if I go back and he tries to kill me again?"

"Let's not think like that. Just hope for the better possibilities."

"Am I going to be living with you now?"

"For now, at least."

"Am I still prince?"

"I'm not sure. It depends on whether you're going back to the castle or not."

"Are Ike and Soren going to be okay?"

"I'm sure they will be."

"Will my father hurt them too?"

"I hope not."

"Do you think Ike is worried about me?"

"Probably. He is your friend."

"Oh… Well, that's all my questions. I'll tell you…" I stop and yawn quietly. "When I have more."

I press closer to him, my eyes heavy with sleep. I close my eyes all the way and slowly fall asleep.

-Marth's Dream!-

"_Go, and don't talk back. It's your duty to be the next king, so you need to be strong." I watch as he walks off, leaving me with the really heavy sword, and the other two knights. _

_I turn to them. They're staring at me as if I'm crazy. I can barely drag the sword with me._

"_Do I really have to fight you? I can't even pick this up!" I ask._

"_No, I don't see why he's doing this anyway. We don't want to hurt you," One of the knights takes the sword form me._

"_Okay, don't tell father that I'm not doing this please. He'll he smack again if he knows."_

"_If I know what?" I hear my father's mocking voice behind me._

_I yelp and turn around quickly._

"_Nothing!" I back up slowly._

"_Why aren't you practicing?" He demands._

"_Uh, b-because… I have a stomach ache?" I try to convince him as I put my hands on my stomach._

"_Oh do you? Poor little princey has a stomach ache," He kneels in front of me._

_I back away more, but he lunges forward quickly and punches me in the stomach. I feel pain sear in gut as I fall over. My hands fly to my stomach and feel tears edge my eyes. My father stands up again._

"_There, now you really do have a stomach ache." He turns and goes back into the castle._

_I wearily roll over onto my stomach and sit up a little. I start coughing a couple times, coughing into my hand. I cough up blood into my small hand, making my heart skip as I see it. I feel a hand on my back. I look over at whoever is beside me._

_The knight who took the sword from me is kneeling beside me._

"_Are you okay?" He asks as he softly wipes some of the blood off my chin. _

_I nod my head yes as I look away. I feel him pick me up and set me back down in his lap._

"_No, you're not okay. I can't believe the king just punched you in the stomach for no reason!" I feel a hand on the back of my head._

"_Why can't you? He does it a lot," I say, my voice quiet as I look up at him, trying to ignore the pain in my stomach._

"_He does? Oh, that's horrible! Why?!" He asks._

"_Well, he says because I talk too much, or when I get up late, or when I stutter when I talk, and whenever I trip, and when I try to sleep in bed with them because I had a nightmare, and also when I go to ask mother something and he's with her. That's not all, but that's some of it." I tell him._

"_Aww, poor boy." He softly strokes my cheek, then pulls me a little closer for comfort._

"_Prince Marth! There you are!" I look up and see my mother come up to us. "I have been looking all over for you! What have I told you about sneaking off and disturbing the knights?" She scolds as she stares down at me._

"_But mother, I didn't. Father told me to come out here, and he was making me train with swords, and stuff, and since I couldn't pick up the sword, he picked it up for me. Then father asked why I wasn't training and I said because I had a stomach ache, and he punched me in the stomach for it." I explain quietly._

"_He WHAT?!" She gasps._

"_It's true, your majesty. I watched him do it." The knight holding me says._

"_Yes," The other knight that had seen it agrees as well._

"_That's it! Keep him with you. I'll be back." I watch as my mother turns and starts off toward the castle again._

"_Oh, I hope I didn't just start trouble between mother and father again," I put my hands on my head as I watch her go. _

_I feel a hand on my shoulder, than I'm shaken a little. _

I groan and open my eyes. I look around, as the room I'm in is unfamiliar, until I remember where I am.

"Mr. Elis?" I call out as I sit up slightly.

"Hey Marth, sorry I woke you up, but someone is here to see you." I hear Elis's voice beside me.

I look over. He's standing next to the bed.

"What? Who? It isn't my father, is it?" I ask hesitantly.

"No, it's your little friend. He said he had something really important to tell you. I'll go get him." I watch as Elis leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

I sit up slowly, cringing every time it hurts. I yawn sleepily, then stretch. The door opens and again and Elis comes inside. I look over. I watch as Ike comes in the room. He smiles as he sees me. He comes over to me, standing up against the bed.

"Marth, are you okay?" He asks quietly. "We saw him take you out of the room down there, but we weren't sure what happened. How come you were so bloody? And why were you naked?"

"I-Uhh…" I turn away a little, the memories of what Colm and my father did to me still fresh in my mind.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I shouldn't have asked." Ike's voice is quiet.

"No, it's fine. I've got to stay here for a little while I get better, so I won't be at the castle. You can come here and visit me though," I tell him as I look back.

"I came because me and Soren are leaving. The people from Pherae and Ostia are here now, and someone is taking us back to Crimea." Ike explains.

"Already? Will you come back?" I can't hide the disappointment in my voice.

"Probably not. Once I go back to Crimea my father said I'd have to stay there until I'm old enough to fight in wars doing training. And once I'm old enough, who knows where I'll go." I can tell Ike is just as disappointed as I am that we might not ever see each other again.

"Well… I'll miss you. You'll always be my friend though, no matter where you are." I smile at him, hoping to help cheer him up.

He smiles and hugs me, and I hug back, smiling as his spiky hair rubs against my face. I feel something wet against my neck. I pull away a little and look at Ike. He's staring at the ground, tears dripping off his chin.

"Ike? What's wrong?" I whisper as I softly pet his spiky hair.

"I just don't want to lose the only real friend I've ever had. I know we've only been friends a day, but I don't want to leave you. But I have too… So… Bye… Marth." I watch as Ike turns and slowly walks out of the room, his head low.

"Ike, wait… Ike, wait! I don't want you to go! I want you to stay here with me!" I reach out toward him, tears edging my eyes.

"I'm very sorry Marth, but I've got to go back to my father in Crimea. Bye Marth." He sighs as he opens the door.

"Don't worry, we'll see each other again someday, Ike." I call to him, hoping I'm right.

"I hope." He looks over his shoulder at me, then leaves.

I whimper quietly as the door closes. Seconds later, it opens again and Elis comes inside. He moves over to me and sits on the edge of the bed carefully.

"Your friend was crying. Is he okay?" Elis asks quietly.

"He was just sad that he had to go. I'm really gonna miss him, Mr. Elis." I sigh as Elis lies against my side carefully.

He puts his hand on my stomach, then lies down comfortably. I carefully cuddle up against him as he wraps both his arms around me.

"Don't worry Marth. You're friend will be okay. Come on, let's just go to sleep." I feel his lips press to my cheek.

I smile and move closer, then close my eyes. I do hope Ike will be fine. I can already feel Elis's breathing slowing as he falls asleep. I let myself slowly fall asleep as well, silently praying I'll make it through the pain, and praying Ike will be okay.

**The name came from the song **_**Truly, Madly, Deeply,**_** by **_**Savage Garden**_**. I was listening to it while typing, and it's one of my favorite songs **_**EVER**_**!**


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